On June 13 the Supreme Court denied the intellectual property rights claims by Myriad Genetics on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes used to evaluate a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Hooray! It’s always seemed wrong that anyone could own any part of the human genome.
Myriad Genetics built a $450-million-a-year business on these two gene markers. Women with strong family histories of breast cancer who test positive for these genes can significantly prolong their lives if their breasts and ovaries are removed. Sometimes these high-risk women had to to pay thousands of out-of-pocket dollars to learn whether such extensive surgery could potentially save their lives.
As a result of this Supreme Court decision, the price of these tests is already dropping significantly. If you, or someone you know, need BRCA1 or 2 testing check out http://www.dnatraits.com/ The test is now being offered for $995—less than a third of what Myriad Genetics charges!
